United Nations Ebola Response: Information & Facts

The United Nations has launched an unprecedented response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa which is being coordinated through the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). UNMEER is the first-ever UN emergency health mission, temporary in nature it will respond to immediate needs related to the fight against Ebola.

The mission will harness the capabilities and competencies of all the relevant United Nations actors under a unified operational structure to reinforce unity of purpose, effective ground-level leadership and operational direction, in order to ensure a rapid, effective, efficient and coherent response to the crisis.

The singular strategic objective and purpose of the Mission will be to work with others to stop the Ebola outbreak. To achieve this, the strategic priorities of the Mission will be to stop the spread of the disease, treat the infected, ensure essential services, preserve stability and prevent the spread to countries currently unaffected. Advance teams were immediately deployed to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as to the mission headquarters in Ghana. Read more.

Quick Facts:

Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.

The incubation period from time of infection to symptoms is 2 to 21 days.